Izzo: Loss to Wisconsin in Big Ten tournament helped Spartans in NCAA

AP PhotoMichigan State coach Tom Izzo has led his team to the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in 11 years.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo joined Bill Simonson on "The Huge Show" on Sunday night to talk about the Spartans advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. MSU will play top-seeded Memphis on Friday in Houston.

"I've never had a team more focused than this one was, but who knows what that brings," Izzo said. "I watched Memphis today and they looked like the (Los Angeles) Lakers half the time. But everybody's got some warts and a after a couple of days of film, you have to find them and try to exploit them.

"The (Big Ten tournament semifinal) loss to Wisconsin might have helped us. The way the players handled it, they way they let it wear on them for a whole day was probably the best thing that could have happened."